Sherwood a Victim of His Own Circumstances
“The defeat of Rep. Don Sherwood [R-PA] will be lumped in with that of a dozen other Republican incumbents but the circumstances of his undoing are vastly different.
“Sherwoodâs 10th district is heavily Republican, but that did not much matter once college professor and Navy reservist Chris Carney (D) began running ads reminding voters of the personal scandal that unfolded in Washington, D.C., involving Sherwood more than a year ago.” (Roll Call)
Sweeney’s Loss Partially Self-Inflicted
“Rep. John Sweeney [R-NY] is another Republican incumbent who must blame himself as much as the national atmosphere for his loss.
“Late in the race, an 11-month-old police report surfaced showing that his wife had called 9-1-1, alleging domestic abuse. Although the Sweeneys denied that anything happened, the revelation came months after photographs emerged of the Congressman attending a late-night college keg party.” (Roll Call)
Some Electronic Vote Glitches Reported
“Election Day was tainted by complaints of dirty tricks that led to FBI investigations in at least two states, with some voters reporting intimidating phone calls, misleading sample ballots and even an armed man outside a polling place….
“As polls closed nationwide, one of the worst waits was in Denver, where hundreds waited long past sunset at beseiged polling centers. They continued to wait, 90 minutes after the 7 p.m. close of voting. It was a miserable end to a day fraught with new voting machine problems and the longest statewide ballot in decades….
“Voter intimidation accusations prompted others to claim that some voters were bullied from getting a chance to vote.” (AP)
Trial Nears End Against Ohio Coin Dealer
“Closing arguments concluded Tuesday in the trial of a prominent coin dealer accused of stealing at least $2 million from a state investment, with prosecutors calling him a swindler and defense attorneys portraying him as a victim of bad bookkeeping.
“Jurors were expected to begin deliberating the fate of Tom Noe on Wednesday after hearing three weeks of testimony in a trial that had threatened to hurt Republicans on Election Day.” (AP)
Exit Polls Suggest Corruption Major Factor in Voting
“National issues weighed more heavily than local ones in the decisions of voters Tuesday, according to interviews with voters leaving the polls.
“The economy was the most important factor, followed closely by terrorism and the Iraq war, the voters said. In their votes for Congressional candidates, nearly three-quarters of voters said corruption and scandal in government were extremely important in deciding how to cast their ballots.” (NY Times)
Shuler Scores Over Taylor
“Rep. Charles Taylor [R-NC] could not withstand the blitz former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler (D) put on in the 11th district, putting Democrats closer to winning control of the House.
“Democrats have targeted Taylor, who has been dogged by rumors of shady business dealings before, but could never quite oust the eight-term incumbent from his Republican-leaning seat.” (Roll Call)
FBI Investigating Reports of Misleading Calls to Virginia Voters Claiming Precinct Changes
“The FBI is investigating complaints that phony callers tried to intimidate Virginia voters amid the hard-fought race between GOP Sen. George Allen and Democratic challenger Jim Webb, officials said Tuesday.
“State Board of Elections Secretary Jean Jensen said her office had forwarded several reports to the FBI of phone calls to voters apparently aimed at misleading them into not voting or directing them to the wrong polling place.”
Army Revamps How Information is Deemed Classified
“U.S. Army intelligence has developed a new blueprint for standardizing the way national security information is classified, recognizing that determining whether a particular document is “confidential” or “top secret” is ultimately up to the judgment of individuals, according to a memo distributed last month by Lt. Gen. John F. Kimmons, the Army’s deputy chief of staff.
“The memo states that presidential directives and Army regulations that provide the basis for classification of security information are ‘broad and not clearly defined,’ so that the responsible individual’s ‘determination of security classification is purely subjective.’
“The comments offer a rare view of one service’s methods for classifying information at a time of debate over government openness. In the past few years, the leaking of classified information has been the subject of congressional investigations, criminal indictments and Supreme Court decisions, but almost no attention has been focused on what information has become classified and how that system works.” (WaPo)
Dobson Quits Haggard Counseling Team
“Citing a lack of time, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson withdrew Tuesday from the team overseeing counseling for the Rev. Ted Haggard, the evangelical pastor who was fired amid allegations of gay sex and drug use.
“‘Emotionally and spiritually, I wanted to be of help — but the reality is I don’t have the time to devote to such a critical responsibility,’ Dobson said.” (AP)
Appeals Court to Review Eavesdrop Case
“A federal appeals court agreed Tuesday to review a lower court’s ruling that kept alive a lawsuit challenging President Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program.
“The government is appealing U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s refusal to dismiss the lawsuit even though the Bush administration asserts the case could expose government secrets and put the nation at risk. Walker ruled that warrantless eavesdropping has been so widely reported that there appears to be no danger of spilling secrets.
“Now the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco, will decide whether Walker was correct to allow the case to proceed to trial. In its order Tuesday, the court did not indicate when it would rule.” (AP)
Decision Time on Cuban’s Detention
“He has admitted to bombing Havana hotels, served time for plotting to assassinate Fidel Castro and for more than 20 years was a fugitive from charges of blowing up a Cuban airliner.
“But 17 months after Luis Posada Carriles was arrested and sent to a Texas immigration lockup, U.S. officials have declined to label him a terrorist or charge him with a crime. On Friday, a federal judge in El Paso gave the U.S. government until Feb. 1 to bring a case against Posada or the reputed bomber will be freed.
“He has become a political liability for the Bush administration in its declared global war on terrorism.” (LA Times)
